


starring role

by Nefertiti_Osiris



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Jealousy, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (voltron) is an asshole, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, he grows up, homewrecker, jealous!Shiro, thanks shiro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 14:16:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10720998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nefertiti_Osiris/pseuds/Nefertiti_Osiris
Summary: Shiro is a homewrecker.Accidentally on purpose.Whoops?





	1. Shiro is Shiro DONE, and is an unexpected saviour.

Shiro was sick of Keith.  
He'd never thought he'd say that, as Keith was his brother-by-affection, but he was so sick of Keith's bull with Lance.

Their "rivalry" had developed a little farther than Shiro was comfortable with. As a leader. Professionally, it bothered him. Not because Shiro was half in love with Lance, and Lance was hung up on his little brother, a boy who took him for granted. Not that at all.

At first, Shiro had laughed it off. It wasn't appropriate for him to persue Lance. He was the blue eyed boy's leader, the one person Lance might be afraid to say no to. He refused to pressure Lance into a relationship he felt he couldn't escape from. 

To reiterate, Keith was being an ass. The red palladin was well known to be flighty and quick to anger, but the situation Shiro had just stumbled upon in the training deck really seemed disproportionate to him. 

Keith was screaming at Lance, who was doubled over on the floor, blood gushing from a cut across his face.

The prone boy was silent as Keith harshly berated him. " You call that DEFENSE? That was pathetic! No wonder you are the most useless part of voltron. If there was anyone Allura could replace you with to get your worthless ass off this team, I'm sure she'd do it." Keith sneered at the boy on the ground." Maybe you should have killed yourself on Earth. It would be a fucking blessing to the rest on us.I-" 

He was interrupted with a fist to the face. He staggered and looked up at where Shiro loomed over him. "Keith." Shiro intoned darkly." You have shamed yourself. I an so disappointed in you that I don't have words. Lance isn't your enemy. And even if he was, that was a disgusting display of cruelty and dishonesty. Until further notice, you are banned from all palladin activities, including flying your lion."

Shiro took a little bit of satisfaction from the shocked look on Keith's face. " No Shiro! You can't!" 

Shiro just scowled. "watch me."

He walked over to Lance's inert, bleeding form and picked him up, cradling the crying boy in his arms. 

He heard lance whisper his name as he was pressed to Shiro's chest. 

Shiro turned and walked out of the room, shirt soaking in Lance's tears. 

 


	2. care and comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok, do I need help. I am unsure what makes an appropriate age gap, as I think Shiro is older than lance, but how much? I thought the garrison was like college, so any input would be smashing. COMMENTS ARE MY LIFEBLOOD...

By the time Lance had stopped crying, the blood on his face had dried into tear lined streaks of red and pink.The lines made him look even more vulnerable in Shiro's eyes, like his misery had torn down his face. Lance hadn't said a word since Shiro had carried him to the medbay.The boy just sat there, like he was trying to disappear into the maze of equipment that decorated the floor.  
Shiro didn't know what to do.  
He had never seen this sort of, dare he call it grief? before. He was used to Keith's ranting, where the best cure was just to listen, or Pidge's mourning, where all that was needed was a hug and a pledge of support. But Lance... just looked empty.  
One of the requirements for being a pilot at the Garrison was a strong ego, so that in times where a split second decision was needed, the pilot was able to act without faltering. Shiro was the one who'd designated Lance to cargo class, and looking at him now, he remembered why. There was no anger, like Keith. No indignation, like Pidge. Lance had just quietly accepted what Keith had said without a fight or word of protest. Even now, he didn't seem angry, he just seemed broken.  
Shiro had hoped, all those years ago when he had placed Lance in the cargo class, that maybe his confidence would grow with a bit more practice, that in next year's designation test, Lance would pull through with flying colours.  
Looking at the boy in front of him, Shiro wondered if maybe he'd made a mistake.  
Lance hadn't made eye contact with him since he'd picked him up from the training room floor, so when Shiro took a wet cloth and started wiping the blood off of Lance's face, he wasn't surprised to see that Lance wouldn't look at him. It was strange for Shiro to be in a silent room with Lance, so, awkwardly, he started to speak.  
"Lance, I'm sorry."  
Finally, Lance's eyes shot to his, his mouth opening to protest. Seeing this, Shiro held up his hand and shook his head, quelling Lance.  
" No. I need to apologize. You see, all this time the team, myself included, have been blowing you off; we've obviously made you feel like you aren't a valuable member of this team. You are."  
He cleared his throat and continued wiping Lance's cheek.  
" You are an asset to the team, and not just because you fill out the color palette. You're tenacious, and kind even when the rest of us are blasting anyone who stands in our way, or seeking revenge.  
I know you have issues with your self esteem, and nothing I say today is going to magically cure you of that. I just want you to know that to me, you are more than just a guy I'm stuck in space with. You're a friend, and a damn good one at that."  
Lance chuckled wetly.  
Shiro met Lance's eyes again, almost shocked to see the tears swimming in them.  
He pulled the younger boy to his chest, and let him cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COMMENTS ARE BEAUTIFUL. Honestly, I love getting feedback. Come chat on tumblr. I'm Ladywithawormwoodpen because I can't figure out how to change my name on mobile :)


	3. Ok, let's backtrack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Shiro started falling for our starboy.

It wasn't graceful. Shiro's fall, that is.  
The first time Shiro had seen lance had been seven years prior, when Shiro was nineteen, and interning for the garrison after graduation. Keith, his spitfire of a little brother, had been complaining about this seemingly random boy who hated him for no reason for months. Shiro almost wanted to talk to the boy that caused his little brother such fits of rage and ask him to leave Keith alone, if only to spare Shiro from Keith's endless complaining.  
But when he first met him, when lance was fourteen and was taking the pilot class designation test, he found he couldn't say much of anything. The feeling wasn't romantic in any way shape of form; there was just something so delicate and innocent to lance behind the bravado and flirting that Shiro couldn't make his mouth move how he wanted it. It's like seeing the ocean at night;he was a little be awestruck, and a little bit terrified. But Shiro, being ever responsible and Shiro-like, put lance where he thought lance would learn to lose that vulnerability: cargo class. Maybe if Lance could prove to himself he was a good pilot, the delicate vulnerability would fade, and Lance would have the inner strength to be a fighter pilot.  
Shiro didn't think too much to lance after that day, he was too busy training to be an astronaut to wonder about a boy he'd barely met in passing. 

 

The next time Shiro saw lance, Lance was nineteen, and the most gorgeous thing Shiro had ever seen. And Shiro had seen the dark side of the moon, and distant galaxies, and supernovae. Lance's eyes obliterated and thoughts of space, well, they obliterated any thought about any th ing, but Shiro was inclined to that kind of quiet poetry.  
Shiro had come back to the Galaxy Garrison after five years away to make a speech, of all things. He was speaking at the commencement of the second class pilot's into first class, where the final decision of their futures would be made. After the ceremony, the graduates were allowed to approach Shiro and ask him questions; some of them remembered him fondly from the training videos he'd starred in, some remembered him from news broadcasts they'd seen of his space exploration.  
Shiro got a lot of the same questions over and over, but one stood out to him that day. A tall, boy with bright blue eyes had walked up to him, shook his hand, and asked quietly," doesn't it scare you?"  
Shiro, as previously mentioned, lost all thought as he held eye contact with brilliant blue.  
"Um. What?  
The boy, Lance, if Shiro had remembered correctly, blinked, frowned slightly and asked again.  
"Doesn't it scare you? When you're out in space, looking down at the world under you, just floating there, aren't you scared of never wanting to return?"  
Shiro just stared. What dare he say to that? That he sometimes felt like all his life was insignificant when looking down on it? How he wondered if his entire existence could be defined as a spec of dust in a raging cosmos? He gathered his thoughts, and straightened his back.  
"Yes. Sometimes, it's like being omnipotent. At others, it feels like I've transcended. It can be hard to return to myself after being..."  
Shiro flushed, and forced his mouth shut. The blue eyed boy, who'd been staring at him with Ill disguised wonder, just smiled, and started to back away. Shiro in a moment of instinct, gasped out," WAIT! What should I call you? I'm not quite sure I remember your name?" The boy laughed, shot him finger guns, of all things, and said suavely," The names Lance, but you could always calm me yours."  
For the first time all day, Shiro laughed. A real laugh, not one of the fake chuckles he usually gave to people he didn't want to offend. A real, eyes closed, head thrown back laugh of disbelief at the boys gall to flirt with him, of all things. He felt something sweet and warm stir in his chest as he laughed, but as his laughter faded into chuckles, he realized the boy had slipped away. 

The next time he saw lance, Shiro was missing an arm, drugged out of his head, and scared out of his wits. He passed into darkness with blue eyes on his mind, and a tiny spark in his heart that had been cold for so long.


	4. making shades of purple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance's history.

Lance remembered falling in love with Keith. It had been one of the easiest things he'd ever done, to be honest. 

At first, lance had gone after Keith because he was jealous. Keith had seemingly everything. He had Shiro, brains, and a face so beautiful everyone swooned. Call him vain, but he was fourteen. He was aware that his fourteen year old self had a skewed sense of worth. 

So because Keith had everything, Lance decided to be an asshole. It was an unconscious decision; he'd gone to congratulate Keith on a flight sim, but all that had come out of his mouth when purple eyes had met his was, "You are such a fucking showoff."

So, yeah. Not the greatest of first impressions. Even if Keith's scowl had made Lance's heart beat a little too quickly. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When voltron had come out of literally no where, lance couldn't think of a person he'd want to partner with more than Keith. Passionate, wild Keith. The boy with the beautiful purple eyes, the boy that called his lion kitten when he thought no one could hear. 

He'd fallen so hard it took his heart a long time to beat normally again. 

\-----    

Years had passed. He'd given Keith his first everything: first kiss, first time, first love. He'd told Keith things he'd said to no one else: his depression, his worship of all things Shiro pre-garrison, his terrible home sickness. And Keith had taken and taken, and that made lance feel good. Wanted. Nevermind that Keith never said  "I love you." back. Never mind that Keith never gave any of himself to lance. Lance was happy just holding him at night, kissing him when no one was watching, being below him in bed and in rank. 

So yeah, lance remembered when he fell for Keith. 

But he also remembered when it all came crashing down. When all he'd given Keith was thrown at him like sharpened knives. Where all he'd given Keith was used against him. 

 

\- - - - - - - -

The catalyst for it all was stupid. They had been having sex, and Keith had moaned a name that wasn't Lance's. 

T-takashi! 

Lance had frozen, but hadn't said anything. He already knew that Keith didn't love him, but he'd been hoping that Keith would fall for him eventually. Three years of sex had to mean something, right??? 

So he just laid there and pretended he hadn't heard Keith moaning for another man. When he felt a tear slip out, he pretended it was one of ecstasy, not heartbreak. 

\- - - - - - - 

Keith... became cruel after that. It was like he was trying to hurt lance. It reminded him uncomfortably of the days at the garrison where he and Keith would do their damndest to make the other miserable, but this time lance wasn't a willing participant. 

During a training fight a month later, Keith had coldly, unrepentantly, sliced Lance's face with the sharp of his blade. When Lance had dropped to the ground in shock, the other boy just stood there, and threw all that Lance had given him back into his steadily bleeding, marred face. It felt like Keith had taken Lance's heart and plunged his blade into the center. 

All lance could do was sob. His heart was broken, he was lost, and the one person he'd ever loved had seen him for what he was: an ugly, disgusting creature unworthy of love. 

But Shiro... Shiro had defended him. Lance wasn't sure why, couldn't quite recall the words between the black palladin and Keith. But his touch had been gentle, his words sincere. 

He fell asleep that night to half delirious thoughts of gray eyes and a kind smile. 


End file.
